like. You’re safe.”
“You’re crazy! I’m coming with you!”
“What are you saying?! That’s impossible!”
“You’ve got something amazing in your hands - one of the most important discoveries of the last decade, without a shadow of a doubt. And I’m not talking about that book which is over five hundred years old, but the secret it hides. I’m sorry to disappoint you, James, but I’m coming with you.”
The young professor was vaguely annoyed, he didn’t understand why she wanted to put herself at so much risk. Right now, you are an anonymous person and they don’t know you. But on the other hand, he knew how she felt. She was tired of giving classes to university students who lacked all motivation, except when it came to finding out how many gallons of beer they could knock back in an hour. He had told her about his recent brushes with adventure just minutes before, and she wanted to get her name in the history books. It was only logical that she wanted to join in!
“Mary.” James spoke to her tenderly as he checked the time on his Breitling watch, a gift from his ex-wife. “It is quite late and we have to wake up early tomorrow morning. We’ll talk when we get up tomorrow, and if you still feel the same, then I won’t stop you. I understand how you feel; I would do the same. Anyway, sleep on it, and bear in mind that it won’t be at all easy hiding from those two assassins.”
The pair stood up and left the living room.
“It’s already been decided,” she reminded him, accompanying him along the hallway to the guestroom. “This is your room, you can use that bathroom. I’ll go and find you some shower gel and leave it in the cupboard. Ah, of course!” she teased. “I don’t have shaving foam or razor blades. I don’t use them.”
He immediately stroked his beard in a reflex action and realized that it was longer than normal. Clearly she was dropping a not-so-subtle hint, suggesting that now was the time for a shave. James looked for excuses but the woman had already left.
It had been a very long afternoon. Those minutes during which his life had hung by a thread while a madman pointed a gun at him had been interminable. He lay on his freshly made bed and closed his eyes in the hope of finding a moment of peace, but he quickly realized that his date with Morpheus would have to wait a few minutes more. The door to the guest bathroom had slammed shut, as if Mary had wanted to tell him that she had left everything he needed and had gone to bed.
James decided to freshen up before going to bed.
The bathroom was rather modern. There wasn’t a bath, just a shower cubicle surrounded by a frosted glass screen. The washbasin was large, with an old-fashioned faucet and a large mirror, essential for every woman who took pride in her appearance. On the wall were two rustic-style cabinets, inside which Mary had left everything James needed.
What a dreadful mess! I look like a hobo!
His hair was somewhat greasy, nothing like his usual style. His beard hid his chiseled facial features and a nauseating body odor emanated from his body. His shirt was torn in several places due to the shoves and threats he had received, and his jeans were bloody and covered with dust after having been kneeling in chimney debris.
After having got himself back together with the help of the mirror, he remained thoughtful, looking at the words printed on his hoodie. It was one of the many hoodies which final year students sold to make a few extra bucks towards some nice vacations. The design was rather tacky, although the sales figures disputed this. It was a huge red circle, with the words Columbia University spelt out around the top half of the perimeter, and the same words appeared around the lower half but back to front. At first glance they were illegible, but when they were placed before a mirror, the meaning could be understood perfectly.
This little discovery triggered a wave of excitement for James. He ran
“You’re crazy! I’m coming with you!”
“What are you saying?! That’s impossible!”
“You’ve got something amazing in your hands - one of the most important discoveries of the last decade, without a shadow of a doubt. And I’m not talking about that book which is over five hundred years old, but the secret it hides. I’m sorry to disappoint you, James, but I’m coming with you.”
The young professor was vaguely annoyed, he didn’t understand why she wanted to put herself at so much risk. Right now, you are an anonymous person and they don’t know you. But on the other hand, he knew how she felt. She was tired of giving classes to university students who lacked all motivation, except when it came to finding out how many gallons of beer they could knock back in an hour. He had told her about his recent brushes with adventure just minutes before, and she wanted to get her name in the history books. It was only logical that she wanted to join in!
“Mary.” James spoke to her tenderly as he checked the time on his Breitling watch, a gift from his ex-wife. “It is quite late and we have to wake up early tomorrow morning. We’ll talk when we get up tomorrow, and if you still feel the same, then I won’t stop you. I understand how you feel; I would do the same. Anyway, sleep on it, and bear in mind that it won’t be at all easy hiding from those two assassins.”
The pair stood up and left the living room.
“It’s already been decided,” she reminded him, accompanying him along the hallway to the guestroom. “This is your room, you can use that bathroom. I’ll go and find you some shower gel and leave it in the cupboard. Ah, of course!” she teased. “I don’t have shaving foam or razor blades. I don’t use them.”
He immediately stroked his beard in a reflex action and realized that it was longer than normal. Clearly she was dropping a not-so-subtle hint, suggesting that now was the time for a shave. James looked for excuses but the woman had already left.
It had been a very long afternoon. Those minutes during which his life had hung by a thread while a madman pointed a gun at him had been interminable. He lay on his freshly made bed and closed his eyes in the hope of finding a moment of peace, but he quickly realized that his date with Morpheus would have to wait a few minutes more. The door to the guest bathroom had slammed shut, as if Mary had wanted to tell him that she had left everything he needed and had gone to bed.
James decided to freshen up before going to bed.
The bathroom was rather modern. There wasn’t a bath, just a shower cubicle surrounded by a frosted glass screen. The washbasin was large, with an old-fashioned faucet and a large mirror, essential for every woman who took pride in her appearance. On the wall were two rustic-style cabinets, inside which Mary had left everything James needed.
What a dreadful mess! I look like a hobo!
His hair was somewhat greasy, nothing like his usual style. His beard hid his chiseled facial features and a nauseating body odor emanated from his body. His shirt was torn in several places due to the shoves and threats he had received, and his jeans were bloody and covered with dust after having been kneeling in chimney debris.
After having got himself back together with the help of the mirror, he remained thoughtful, looking at the words printed on his hoodie. It was one of the many hoodies which final year students sold to make a few extra bucks towards some nice vacations. The design was rather tacky, although the sales figures disputed this. It was a huge red circle, with the words Columbia University spelt out around the top half of the perimeter, and the same words appeared around the lower half but back to front. At first glance they were illegible, but when they were placed before a mirror, the meaning could be understood perfectly.
This little discovery triggered a wave of excitement for James. He ran
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